CREATING SPACE

Extending Your Home

Extending your home is exciting – whether you’re using the space for living, dining or even extending your kitchen it can add significant value to your property and of course overcome your space issues.

There are so many different ways that you can extend your home but it’s essential that you give consideration to some key questions – such as how will you make the most of the space? Will the space be open-plan to the rest of your property? Who will carry out the work?

Making the space work for you

Home extensions are a fantastic way to create space without the upheaval and expense of moving house. So if you love where you live but just need some growing room then a single storey extension is the way forward.

One of the first things to consider is how you intend to use the space. If you need an extra bedroom but don’t want to go to the expense of a two-storey extension then consider reconfiguring the space you have downstairs. It’s not uncommon for homes to feature bedrooms downstairs so don’t automatically assume you need to extend upstairs as well as down stairs – with some careful reconfiguration and an open-mind you can easily make spaces have new purpose.

Before you start thinking about the type of extension, it’s always a good starting point to draw out your existing floor area and imagine how much you might need in addition to what you already have. For example, if you’re looking for a new dining area, consider the maximum number of people you regularly seat around the table and plan the space around that. There’s little point in designing a space that isn’t big enough for your needs – the key point is to be realistic.

Mottram Extension

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they have a new extension is not considering the practical elements of how the space will flow next to your existing property. You don’t necessarily need to go to the expense of consulting an architect to design your space, an Ultraframe retailer will be able to design your space and show you drawings of what the space will look like.

Always bear in mind that the space you will gain indoors will take away from the space you have in your garden. So be sure about the positioning of your extension – does it need to flow off existing exits? Does this give you the best perspective of your garden? Until the footings are ready to be dug out, take all the time you need to consider the best position of your extension to make the most of natural daylight.

Your Ultraframe Ultra Installer will be able to guide you through certain restrictions. For example, if you have a drain cover near your property there will be restrictions around building over it – always best to consult your Ultraframe retailer early in the process. They will have detailed local knowledge about what’s possible, and what’s not, depending on where you live in the UK.

The Regulations

Often people are put off by the red tape associated by home extensions. The simple way to consider it is Planning Permission deals with what you can build and where you build it and Building Regulations deal with the how you build it. There are some general rules, which apply to most properties in the UK, and there will be specific factors to consider for your own property – such as whether your house is previously extended or if you live in a conservation area, or a listed property.

Your Ultraframe retailer will be able to easily guide you through this process and submit relevant applications of your behalf if that’s required. The key point is don’t be put off by extending your home, even if you’ve previously extended it. Many of the extension systems from Ultraframe are very sympathetic in their design and with many already designed with LABC (Local Authority Building Control) approval it will be an effortless process to get your home extension up and running.